HOT SPRINGS, VA � December 8, 2009 � Hospitality industry veteran Paul Crafton has joined The Homestead as director of motor coach sales. He brings to his position 24 years of experience in resort and hospitality management. 

�We are delighted to welcome Paul to The Homestead management team,� said Peter Faraone, vice president and general manager of the resort. �He has a proven record of travel industry sales success at resorts and hospitality groups that, like The Homestead, offer a rich history and a broad spectrum of attractions. This experience makes him ideally suited to leading our resort�s motor coach sales program.�

Before joining The Homestead, Crafton served as director of travel industry sales for three historic properties in the southeastern U.S., most recently for The Greenbrier/CSX Railway. During a tenure that spanned from January 2005 to August 2009, he was responsible for The Greenbrier�s group leisure, travel agent and FIT sales. His efforts led to several industry recognitions, including HSMAI�s Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales & Marketing in 2006. 

For three years prior, Crafton held the same title at The Galt House Hotel & Suites Group. He joined the Louisville, Kentucky - based lodging company after 15 years with Opryland Hospitality & Attractions Group in Nashville, during which time he rose through a series of positions from reservation agent to director of travel industry sales. 

A music graduate of Indiana State University, Crafton pursued a career in entertainment before transitioning into hospitality management. He co-hosted a children�s television show in Terre Haute, Indiana, then signed as a songwriter and recording artist with RCA subsidiary Killer Records � a move that led him to Nashville and the Opryland Hotel. 
            
The Homestead will launch new special events and exciting packages with exceptional value throughout 2010.  For more information on group tours, Crafton can be reached at (888) 796-5838. 
 
Open since 1766, The Homestead is one of America�s most storied resorts, offering unparalleled hospitality and Southern charm in a 3,000-acre setting within the Allegheny Mountains of southwestern Virginia.  Renowned for its natural healing springs, The Homestead is distinguished by 483 luxurious guest rooms and suites, 72,000 square feet of meeting space, a wide array of fine and casual dining choices, a world-class spa, three championship golf courses that include one of the nation�s finest mountain courses (The Cascades), the South�s first downhill ski area, a 48-stable Equestrian Center and show ring, one of the top-rated Shooting Clubs and a wealth of other recreational attractions.